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Wedding week continues with a guest post where we take a look at how catering companies not only should, but need to, be utilizing social media to succeed! Let’s face it. Having a start-up business in this economy can be quite nerve-racking. If you have a catering business that you want to promote to wedding planners and potential clients, you should start looking at social media marketing as your new best friend. The digital age is at the point where silence for business owners is no longer an option. If you want your catering business to get the exposure it deserves, you need to strike up a conversation with your target market today. And how do you exactly do that? Look no further than the most popular social media marketing sites.

But before you sign up for every social media site out there, you should first know what your business strengths are. Ask yourself these questions: ‘what exactly is it that you’re trying to promote?’ and ‘who is your target market?’ These two crucial questions can help you determine which social media sites would best serve your goals. Take time to brainstorm and write down your ideas. Don’t be afraid to turn to unconventional marketing methods if you have to. You want your business to stand out so just get out there and be creative with it. Here’s a list of the top 5 social media marketing sites to get your started.

1. Facebook

We’ll start off with the most popular social media site, Facebook. What’s great about Facebook is that it allows you to create a page specifically for your business. Just click on the ‘create a page” link on Facebook and voila! You have your own business page that you can easily manage through your personal account. Make sure to update all fields with the right details and don’t forget to upload pictures and content about your business. Facebook has a broad audience that you can market to so it’s important that you always post quality updates. 2. Instagram

Another great way to promote your start-up catering company to potential clients is through Instagram. Instagram is currently one of the most popular photo sharing sites online and through mobile, so you’ll be able to gain a following fast. This is perfect for you if you have a lot of photos from past catering jobs that you want to share. Post photos of your most creative setups and use effects if you want to add a bit of dramatic flair to the image.3. Pinterest

You can also use Pinterest to promote your catering company. Pinterest is a relatively new site that allows you to get more referred traffic and quality leads just through ‘pinning’. Since it has already numbered over ten million active users in 2012, Pinterest can help you get your message across through its growing online community. Just remember to be smart about organizing your boards and pins so that you can provide your audience with a visually compelling spread of your services.4. Twitter

Once the content has been posted, it’s time to get a following. Twitter is the easiest way to get key influencers that can help promote your business. Look for wedding planners around your area and connect with them. You can mention them in a post or you can also comment on theirs. You need develop trust here so refrain from being too overwhelming. Add a few people at a time so that you can really focus on “tweeting” quality tweets. Always aim for quality and not quantity to gain a good online reputation.5. Google+

And last but not the least, there’s Google+. Google+ is like Facebook and Twitter rolled into one so it’s great for not just promoting posts, but also for getting people to read those posts. You can create circles of followers and categorize them according to content that would best interest each circle. Google+ makes it easier to promote strategically, depending on your market.

So there you have it. Now that you have a better idea on how you can use social media websites to your advantage, start planning out your social media marketing plan today. Social media marketing can help you get your message across more efficiently and without an additional marketing cost. Although managing multiple social media networks may seem a bit daunting in the beginning, it’s definitely worth all the extra effort once you get the hang of it.

Author Bio:

Julieane Hernandez is a marketing graduate turned baker. She’s an advanced tri-athlete during summer. She’s been in the catering services and baking industry for about 5 years now and is constantly learning from her experiences in the industry.